Crime

Lenexa man charged in fatal, head-on DUI crash in Overland Park in December

A Lenexa man is facing second-degree murder charges after allegedly striking another driver head-on in December.
A Lenexa man is facing second-degree murder charges after allegedly striking another driver head-on in December.

A Lenexa man has been charged in an Overland Park DUI crash that killed a man after allegedly striking his vehicle head-on in December.

Matthew Ryan, 31, is charged with second degree murder – an alternative charge to DUI involuntary manslaughter – for the death of Karl Wurtenberger of Independence.

Around 11:40 p.m. on Dec. 10, a vehicle was traveling west on eastbound Interstate 435 near Quivira Road before colliding with Wurtenberger’s vehicle, according to Officer John Lacy, a spokesman for the Overland Park Police Department. Wurtenberger was pronounced dead at the scene.

The wrong-way vehicle did not stop after the collision and continued on the interstate, striking another vehicle. The second driver was not injured, Lacy said.

Ryan is in custody at the Johnson County Jail. His bond has been set at $250,000. He was scheduled to appear in Johnson County District Court Wednesday afternoon.

Jenna Thompson
The Kansas City Star
Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.
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